The present invention relates to a device for main parachute cutaway and reserve parachute deployment. It will operate in skydiving, especially for low altitude jumps.
Traditionally, parachute equipment included a main parachute and a reserve parachute, which is as a backup in the case of a main parachute malfunction.
In the case of a malfunction of the main parachute, it is known that it is necessary that the main parachute must be entirely disconnected from the harness before the reserve parachute is deployed, in order to avoid entanglements between the main and the reserve parachutes, and the consequences there of, this is the so named <<cutaway>> procedure.
Moreover, during a cutaway procedure it is better that a device to reduce time and altitude loss required for the opening of the reserve parachute is incorporated. Such a device is obviously advantageous, in the sense that time and altitude savings in the sequence of the reserve parachute deployment, may save lives, in particular at low altitude, where the remaining time before impact is short.
Known temporary connection devices, also named Main Assisted Reserve Deployment (MARD), the Interlock device or the Skyhook, are intended to use the main parachute, once cutaway, as pilot chute for the extraction of the reserve parachute.
These devices show a number of problems, in particular when the device undergoes premature disconnection and consequently, does not give the benefit of the improved reserve deployment time/height.
With these types of devices, cases have been recorded of cutaway of the main parachute which only opened the reserve container, without the cutaway main parachute aiding in the extraction of the reserve deployment bag.
This malfunction is explained by the failure of retention of the MARD device, which can be caused by a disconnection during the stowing of the bridle of the Reserve Static Line (RSL lanyard) and the bridle of the reserve deployment bag.
In this way, all the advantage of the reduction in deployment time/height is lost, because the main parachute, once cutaway, does not cause a rapid extraction of the reserve deployment bag.
Another issue appears with the use of the Skyhook device in some reserve procedures, such as the procedure called reserve only (main parachute still in the main container). During the opening of the reserve container, at the moment the reserve pilot chute inflates, the means of holding the Skyhook device on the kicker flap does not have a sufficient retentive force so that the bridle of the reserve deployment bag is not immediately disconnected from the lanyard, which can cause a delay in the opening of the reserve parachute.
A need exists for a safer device, guaranteeing the time/height saving at every cutaway procedure and ensuring safety in case of a total main parachute malfunction and manual reserve parachute activation.